How Important Is Your 5-A-Day?

You’ve probably heard of 5-a-day, the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables to achieve and maintain your health and wellbeing.

It’s based on recommendations from the World Health Organization, and it’s been adopted by health authorities all across the world, including Europe, Australia and Canada, as well as here in the US. But what does it actually mean, and how important is it for you?

Why 5 a day?

The first thing to know is that 5-a-day is just a minimum. Fruit and veggies are naturally low in calories and fat, so feel free to eat more than 5 if you like! However, scientists have worked out that eating at least 14 ounces – or 5 portions – of fruit and vegetables per day can help to improve your general health and lower your risk of some serious illnesses, such as strokes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Although people’s bodies and metabolisms vary, 5-a-day is considered to be, on average, a good goal to aim towards.

Of course, you’re free to eat other things too. In fact, 5-a-day should form part of a well-balanced diet, helping you to keep your intake of things like sugar and fat in check.

How does it work?

The main reason that fruits and vegetables are so good for you is their vitamins and minerals. Top of the list is vitamin C, which acts powerfully within your body to boost your immune system, increase your energy levels, reduce harmful oxidation and fight some of the symptoms of ageing. Vitamin C is one of the best known and most effective substances in food, and you can find it in broccoli, strawberries, pineapple and of course, oranges.

Fruit and vegetables also include other important components such as folate and potassium, and their fibre can help keep your digestive system healthy and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

How to get my 5-a-day

Almost all kinds of fruit and vegetables count towards your 5-a-day, except potatoes and cassava. That includes fresh fruit and veg, of course, but frozen, dried and canned ones count as well. Pure fruit juice is also good.

However, to really get the most out of your 5-a-day, the keyword is variety. That means having 5 different fruits and vegetables every day. The reason for this is that different fruits and vegetables deliver different kinds of good things to your body, including different combinations of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

What if I’m not getting enough?

Everyone needs a healthy diet, but sometimes we need to top up on essential vitamins, like vitamin C. Vitamin C supplements, like Bio-En’R-Gy C can be an ideal way of ensuring you get the full benefits of vitamin C, including a stronger immune system and a boost to your cardiovascular health.

Plus, Bio-En’R-Gy C supplement does not come with the side effects that are usually associated with high oral doses of vitamin C.

Visit our homepage for more information about this and other great vitamin supplements.